


i can hear the bells

by jeongsa



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 19:11:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19115944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeongsa/pseuds/jeongsa
Summary: "Dance with me, then," Sana offers, and her heart leaps out of her chest before adding, "Great bonding exercise, considering, well…you know."Jeongyeon's lip quirks. "Who says I want to bond with you?"





	i can hear the bells

Sana jolts when Nayeon curls a manicured finger over her shoulder, the fabric scratchy against her skin. Her best friend spared no expense in her wedding dress, and it's to be expected. She wouldn't be surprised if she begged Vera Wang for the exact design.

 

"I'm gonna be honest," Nayeon claps her hand over her shoulder once more, jovial, breath smelling faintly of wine. She's most definitely had more than Sana. "You _do_ look a bit like a sadsack sitting here like this alone."

 

Sana rolls her eyes, continuing to face forward. "You always were the honest drunk."

 

"Absolutely, and you love it," Nayeon confirms, inhaling a sharp breath through her teeth and pointing across the room to a mostly vacant table. "See that girl over there?"

 

Sana takes a moment from being focused on her arms being folded to the attention of the woman directly opposite her gaze - wearing something blue that wraps around her arms to hug her biceps. She's seemingly cold, sitting under one of the many air conditioner vents adorning the ceiling. Alone too, in the way she's idly staring at the heels she'd worn for the occasion. Sana stares a little harder when she accidentally catches her gaze, the girl dropping her chin and going a little red from being caught out. There's something familiar about it all. It's almost like - it _almost_ looks like-

 

_No fucking way._

 

"Not-so-recently single," Nayeon says, simply, like Sana's heart isn't currently falling out of her ass.

 

"Oh."

 

"Her asshole ex-girlfriend broke up with her on Valentines day, last year. Can you believe that?" Nayeon sniffs, and it's then Sana realises that this is an ambush. "You should ask her to dance, actually. I think she'd appreciate it."

 

Sana blinks. "Is… is it really her?"

 

"Your exchange fling?" Nayeon blurts, and Sana wants so badly to whack her for the crude remark before remembering Nayeon is just totally and utterly pissed. "She's been staring at you for the past half hour, like, _very_ obviously."

 

"Her hair," Sana's mouth is dry. "It's… different." (Pretty, like the rest of her has always been.)

 

"It's been a while," Nayeon reminds her. "She grew it out."

 

"I can... see that."

 

"Okay, nice. You going over now, or what?"

 

"Are you insane?" Sana recalls the last time they'd spoken, feeling a little sick after the main meal. Her fingers fidget with the tablecloth. "Do you not remember anything?"

 

"All of that shit was forever ago," Nayeon replies with a 'pfft', thrusting a hand to block her vision. "She's over it, promise! Just go talk to her."

 

"Why?" Sana shakes her head. "It'll just create trouble."

 

"Sana, just do me this _one_ solid," Nayeon's starting to create a scene, bending over in her wedding dress as she drops her bottom lip. "I _know_ you were sweet on her!"

 

"Keep your voice down!" Sana frets over Nayeon's booming voice, smoothing the tulle on Nayeon's dress where it's fallen over her lap, eyeing the area for her wife to whisk the poor woman away. "Listen, I'll go over, but only to say hi, and because it's your wedding night, and you need to go over and annoy your actual wife instead of me. _Happy_?"

 

"Peachy," Nayeon smiles, showing all of her teeth, lingering on Sana's fingertips before departing just like that - motioning fingers to her eyes as an indication that she'll be watching from the sidelines. What a nightmare.

 

Sana dares to peek a look upwards once more - Jeongyeon's talking to an elderly lady dressed in floral get-up seated at her table, a polite conversation with a distant relative of Nayeon's no doubt. Jeongyeon's always been a people pleaser and sufficiently charismatic. Sana's toes begin to tingle as her feet hover towards the battlefield of a dancefloor - it's late enough in the night that the adults have begun to lose any form of composure, and their children are running around the room at godspeed high on sugar from the sweet dessert course.

 

Sana feels how bloated she is, too, waddling absurdly in her gaudy heels on the hardwood floor. She spills a couple of modest 'sorry's as she bumps into a couple of rowdy uncles when a particularly upbeat song comes on thanks to the DJ, and she struggles her way across the landing, having to push past a little more aggressively than she'd like. It takes a turn for the worst when a lady is giggling with a drink in her hand, bumping hard into Sana's side at the edge - Sana tumbles face forward into the carpet, elbows pillowing the landing with a fresh serving of carpet burn.

 

"Oh, god," A hand quickly grasps Sana's wrist from the front to assist in lifting her up once more, the silky fabric of the dress pooling next to Sana's cheek planted to the floor. Sana _knows this voice._ "Are you okay?!"

 

"I'm fine!" Sana sheepishly chuckles as Jeongyeon lifts her from the floor, the girl light as a feather even when feeling heavier than an anchor. It takes Sana a moment to lift her gaze to Jeongyeon's eyes as she speaks, fearing the girl will see her, see her like she did the years previous to now.

 

Sana wonders exactly how much she knows.

 

Her eyes are as warm as they've ever been, behind curled lashes and simple but pretty makeup - she looks stunning up close. It's been too long since Sana's seen the curve of her nose like this. Sana's breath catches in her throat, silently fighting down the strangled sound she'd make if she'd opened her mouth - she can only get a single syllable out.

 

"Hi."

 

"Hi," Jeongyeon, now a little shy, snickers behind her hand taking in the sight of Sana standing awkwardly next to the dancefloor, hair a little mussed. "You okay there?"

 

"Apart from that... less than graceful entry, yes, I'm okay," Sana replies sheepishly, eyes on Jeongyeon's mouth, which is twitching a little bit - Sana notices her hands are fidgeting in the corner of her eye, like they've always done when she's nervous. Sana understands, swallowing - it's not immediate repulsion, so she'll take it. "How've you been?"

 

"I've been okay," Jeongyeon's smile is thin, like she was hoping not to be asked this question, and Sana's chest flashes with a hot pain in remembrance of what Nayeon had just told her. _Idiot._ "Grew up. You?"

 

"Good! Good," Sana awkwardly replies after a little too long, staring dizzily into Jeongyeon's face, who's staring just as intently back. She feels hot, all of a sudden, like there's a trickle of sweat tickling her spine even with the chill of the room. "It's been… much too long."

 

"Agreed," Jeongyeon nods a couple of times, dropping her gaze to the floor for a moment before the look of an idea flashes across her face, gesturing to the area behind her. "Oh. Would you like to sit?"

 

"Love to," Sana smiles pleasantly, and the second Jeongyeon's back is turned, Sana chides herself at the way she's panicking - stripped under Jeongyeon's gaze, someone she didn't think she'd see again for a long, long time. It was stupid not to realise she would be here tonight. The stupid dress she's wearing is backless, too, and god forbid Sana's eyes wandering to the dip at her spine.

 

Sana settles onto a decorated chair as Jeongyeon awkwardly scoots herself over to make room. Their knees bump together - Jeongyeon dissolves some more of the tension with a light laugh, and Sana feels her own eyes begin to smile. "So, I saw on facebook. You graduated?"

 

"All finished," Jeongyeon sighs, like the blood sweat and tears it'd taken to get there all comes out in one big huff. "Finally, all done. I work at the local hospital four days a week."

 

"That's amazing," Sana says, honestly in awe. "Days or nights?"

 

"They prefer new graduates to work day shifts, just to start off with," Jeongyeon elaborates, and it's good, Sana's glad she found a distraction from the slip-up she'd made earlier. Jeongyeon's always been passionate about her work. "Something about the stubborn older nurses demanding later hours?"

 

"Sounds about right," Sana says, chuckling. The conversation is flowing a lot more easily than she'd thought it would. "I'm…mostly undecided with what I want to do, I think. It was too late for me to change once I figured out comp sci wasn't for me."

 

"There's _always_ time," Jeongyeon warmly replies, bringing the glass of wine at her side to her lips. "I know you'll figure it out."

 

"Mhm," Sana's itching to change the painful subject once more, so she nods towards the flute in Jeongyeon's grasp. She can't quite understand why Jeongyeon's being so nice to her. "Got any more of that?"

 

"What? Wine?" Jeongyeon asks, and she turns to pour Sana a glass - there being a bottle of white on each table to share. She hands it over, and their fingers dare to brush against one another - the touch is almost electric in the way Sana almost spills it all over her dress and she jolts backwards from the sensation.

 

"Can I say something?" Jeongyeon inquires, swirling the wine moments into the silence they'd built for themselves.

 

Sana snaps her attention from her ankles lolling at the chair legs, watching carefully as Jeongyeon's features are still, as if she's about to say something important. The dagger in Sana's chest twists.

 

"Please," is all Sana can reply, and the sound of her own voice faltering is terrifying.

 

"I'm glad," Jeongyeon admits slowly, quiet yet still somehow audible over the music. "I'm glad you came over here. I... don't think I would have come to you."

 

Instead of replying like a functioning human being at such a devastating statement, after a lengthy pause, Sana's brain does the next best thing by letting her foot wedge itself in her mouth.

 

"Are you drunk too?"

 

Jeongyeon laughs then, heartily - incredulously, at Sana's bluntness. Perhaps she was preparing for a more serious conversation - it's comforting to know they can still skirt around about it all, after all this time. "Maybe a little."

 

"Nayeon is," Sana remarks, gesturing across the room - the bride's taken her blonde betrothed by the hand, twirling Momo stupidly to the overplayed Maroon 5 song playing over the speakers. "She's having the time of her life over there."

 

"I'm happy for them," Jeongyeon's smile is soft, genuine.

 

"Do you care that they're young?"

 

"No," Jeongyeon frowns at this, diverting her gaze back to gauge Sana's own reaction. There's a look of 'Where is this coming from?', then furrowed brows. "Do _you_?"

 

"Most people have something to say about it!" Sana defends, pout naturally forming. "I was just wondering."

 

"Well, no, I don't care," Jeongyeon clarifies, and she rests her chin atop the palm of her hand, watching them whisk each other away. "It sounds stupid, but... I think they're kind of meant for each other."

 

Sana smiles, enjoying remembering that Jeongyeon's always been a romantic at heart, no matter how much she'll pretend she doesn't wear her heart on her sleeve. Her fingers have stopped twiddling in her lap, which is a good sign. For a fleeting moment, Sana's overwhelmed by the need to ask for Jeongyeon's hand. Even if the sight of her still makes her dizzy and she hasn't quite figured out exactly what she's doing, the question still poses - Why the hell is a pretty girl like this sitting here all alone?

 

(Maybe, just maybe, Nayeon had a point.)

 

Sana dives into the deep end. "Why aren't you dancing?"

 

Jeongyeon's head whips around _too_ quickly. The prescence of the faltering wall she'd built in those milliseconds was staggering - it was heartbreaking, almost, watching Jeongyeon shake her head and lower her eyes to the ground. It makes Sana arrogantly wonder if her ex ever made fun of her dancing. (The thought makes her blood boil.)

 

Jeongyeon rubs her elbow. "I don't like this song."

 

"I don't know if I believe that," Sana says. "It's not realistic."

 

Jeongyeon raises a brow. "Are you implying I have questionable taste?"

 

Sana grins. "Maybe."

 

"Well, I wasn't going to just dance by myself, was I?"

 

"Dance with me, then," Sana offers, and her heart leaps out of her chest before adding, "Great bonding exercise, considering, well…you know."

 

Jeongyeon's lip quirks. "Who says I want to bond with you?"

 

"Think about it like this - what if you die tomorrow regretting that you never danced to this god-awful song?"

 

"I can't think of why I'd regret that for a second."

 

"You said you're glad I came over here," Sana says, quickly, and Jeongyeon bursts into a loud bout of laughter at the bold reminder.

 

"I did say that," Jeongyeon admits. "You're right."

 

"And I want you to," Sana quietly confesses as an add-on, voice soft, embarrassed in the way her cheeks are tinting pink as Jeongyeon's expression falters. "So let's do it."

 

"Hmm," Jeongyeon stares at Sana's outstretched hand, and it's now or never - Sana looks more than just a little goofy falling into line with this cliche and she must know it. It's just up to Jeongyeon whether she'll let her humour her for the night - to be honest, what have they got to lose?

 

"Don't embarrass me," Jeongyeon halfheartedly warns with her chin lowered, and her small hand envelops Sana's once more - Sana takes the time to memorise the soft lines and the outline of her rings against her skin as they stand. If Jeongyeon notices, she sure as hell doesn't say anything. She's been given the green light.

 

"No promises," Sana quips.

 

-

 

Jeongyeon tastes as sweet as Sana remembers.

 

"I meant to message you," Sana babbles desperately into the open-mouthed kiss where she has Jeongyeon's body pressed against the wall outside of her hotel room. "I did, so badly. I just-"

 

"Me too," Jeongyeon interrupts her, and she sounds just as shaken, mirrors her vulnerability with her hair carded messily underneath Sana's hands and her dress hiked up halfway around her hips. "Didn't know what to say."

 

Sana takes Jeongyeon's bottom lip between her teeth, dragging it away before leaning in for more and swallowing the moan that releases from Jeongyeon's throat. "I'm sorry, for everything, God, if I could just-"

 

"I know," Jeongyeon sighs into the kiss, pressing a quick peck to the corner of Sana's lips as if to silence her - but her arms wind around her neck, bringing her impossibly closer. "Please. I know. You don't need to explain yourself. Not now."

 

 _Now_. Now, Sana's hand is poised between Jeongyeon's thighs, the other holding her steady against the scratchy brick wall outside of the cheap room she's booked for the night. It's an hour since everyone's left to go home, and Jeongyeon's free thumb is softly brushing over Sana's lip, her eyes flickering up every couple of seconds. Maybe it's to see if Sana will break.

 

"I don't know what to say to you," Sana honestly says, and it sounds scared. They're less inebriated than when they'd first spoke - Sana spent the rest of the night drinking water, the both of them too busy attached to one another to even think of picking up a glass again. It bares her, and she wasn't prepared for this tonight, not by a long shot. "I… don't."

 

"Then don't," Jeongyeon says, smiling. It would probably be sad if it didn't hit Sana like soft sunlight peeks through venetian blinds, and she doesn't think it was intended to be, for some reason. "Don't say anything."

 

"Okay," Sana can definitely do that. She's suave, she's cool, she's collected - she can do this. She brushes a strand of hair that's fallen loose from Jeongyeon's ears. "Talk later?"

 

"Of course."

 

"Can we maybe," Sana licks her lips before continuing, "Find the key to the room and go inside, though? I'm cold."

 

Jeongyeon bangs a fist against Sana's chest, and Sana can feel the laughter rumbling from the proximity of Jeongyeon's stomach. She clips the clutch bag dangling from her wrist open, rummaging through to find the card. "Remind me when I said I was inviting you in, again?"

 

"Now, hopefully," Sana openly shivers, and the mechanic click sounds as Jeongyeon taps on with the card pressed against her backside, staring into the pleading expression in Sana's eyes, dragging the moments out just to be daring. Sana's feet shuffle on the spot before releasing a quiet whine. "Please?"

 

"Well," Jeongyeon coyly replies, and when the doorknob twists, they freefall. "You'd better come on in, then."

 

-

 

Sana wakes to a flick on the forehead in the morning.

 

"It's 11am," Jeongyeon's mischievious arm returns underneath the duvet, to the warmth - she's not wearing any pyjamas after all. It's then that underneath all of that sleepiness Sana has a revelation, rubbing her eyes, Jeongyeon fully coming into view with her hair cradled against the pillow like a makeshift halo.

 

"Hi," Sana croaks, sliding with her arms to sit up.

 

"Hi," Jeongyeon seems amused. Sana vaguely wonders if she's been awake for a while. The makeup she'd been wearing is mostly gone, save for flecks of leftover mascara she hadn't been able to get off before sleep.

 

("But do we _really_ need to?" Sana grumbled as Jeongyeon pawed at her lids with the wet cotton bud, removing the remains of eyeshadow she hadn't managed to sweat off. The both of them were stark naked - it was almost comical. "I'm tired."

 

"I'm not sleeping in all of that, and neither are you," Jeongyeon reprimands, smacking her knee, like old times. "Now, hold still.")

 

"I was thinking, we could get coffee," Jeongyeon suggests, and her cheek digs further into the pillow. Sana can't believe she isn't sitting up and slapping her in the face right now, regret overwhelming her like it does in the movies the night after one of these things - does time really heal, or was all of that bullshit? Sana feels like she's floating.

 

"That would be nice," Sana agrees, carefully, happily. "I'd love to."

 

"Great," Jeongyeon nods and the linen rustles. "I have to ask you something, though."

 

Sana's heart pauses. "Yes?"

 

"Momo told me you're here to stay, this time. Is that true?"

 

Sana can't help but grin. "You asked about me?"

 

"Shut up," Jeongyeon grumbles, grabbing the unoccupied pillow to whacks Sana in the back with it. "She was the one who told me you were coming last night. Answer the question, idiot."

"Yeah, I am," Sana replied, releasing a breath she hadn't known to be holding. "I'm moving here, permanently. I didn't get the chance to tell you, I guess."

 

"I see," Jeongyeon replies. Her fingers are tracing patterns into the sheets beside her head, doing anything except looking Sana in the eye, and it's a little painful hearing her voice lower. "You mean it?"

 

"I'm moving in a couple of months," Sana confirms. "I've got enough money saved and I found an apartment."

 

"Ah," Jeongyeon says. "Are you excited?"

 

"Nervous," Sana corrects. "Definitely nervous. This is my first time back in a long time."

 

Sana's head falls back onto her pillow and she glances up to let their eyes meet, sidling to a more comfortable position. Jeongyeon's staring at her intently, like she's trying to communicate what she wants to say later silently - it can wait, though. Jeongyeon is beautiful as they slowly blink at each other, dangerously close to falling asleep once more.

 

Sana dares to place her hand over Jeongyeon's, who says nothing but stills, letting Sana knead her fingers into her own. It's tentative, awkward, yet Jeongyeon doesn't pull away, doesn't say anything - just watches Sana's thumb brush affectionately around her knuckles.

 

"Thank you," Sana says, sincerely. "This was nice."

 

"Was?" Jeongyeon's playful tone is back, muffled by the fabric. "You're still here."

 

"I'm not dreaming?"

 

"Not a chance. And… Sana?"

 

"Mhm?"

 

"If you say anything else sappy, I'm going to kick you out of the bed."

 

"Understood."

 

They lie close together, breathing softly, allowing the daylight to peek under the door, through the dodgy lace curtains drawn, enveloped in the quiet haven they've established - even if it's just for another short period of time that the snooze button permits.

 

There'll be time to talk later, but for now, their eyes flutter closed.

 

(It's by some heavenly mistake that their limbs entangle in slumber, and they go well over the eight-minute alarm postponed from Jeongyeon's iPhone.)

**Author's Note:**

> as always, thank u for reading, i hope u enjoyed!!! i had fun writing this one, it's barely edited but i kinda like it that way :D
> 
> i'm over at @jeongyeonation on twitter, drop me a line ^^


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